Old Man Raps

I have a friend, have not seen him for a while, though. A hippie he is. I don't think there is any other way to decribe the guy. He was a hippie back then and still is today. He is also a damn good photographer. His photos of the Houston Astros games were amazing. He attended the Art Car Parade in Houston, Texas every year and shot film there. Those photos were always worthy of a frame.

We called him the Mayor, because that's what he told us his name was.

Mayor is a bicycle tech, that's how he makes his money. At one time I know he had a '62 (?) Beetle, he probably sold it. He also had an old pick-up truck, which he drove to my house one night for an intervention. He did not take the freeway from Telephone Road though, he came down Highway 90A, a very long trip. He wanted to make sure he stopped for every red light so he wouldn't get a ticket from the man. But, usually, if he had to go anywhere, it was within bicycle riding distance.

Mayor is a reformed alcoholic, 25 years or so, I believe. Good on him. He knew he had a problem and he kicked it. That and he really got tired of jail. He now drinks water from a plastic bottle. And he smokes a bit. Not the unhealthy tobacco from Virginia. He smokes the wacky tobacky. In fact, he incorporates his smokes with H²O. It's a gift from God. "How the hell can a plant be illegal?"

Mayor took bi-annual trips to Amsterdam, where a combo from Mickey D's means you get to spark up a doobie after your Royale with cheese. Mayor liked that.

He told me a story about one of his trips to Amsterdam. He decided to go window shopping and treat himself to some Dutch mechandise. So he did. He found the one he wanted, negotiated and paid the price. You can get anything you want....including Alice....in Amsterdam. Mayor paid extra for conversation too. So after the deal was done and had been consumated, he and his benefactor talked a bit. It got around to "how long have you been doing this", "i guess you like it, is it fun?".

That's when she said, "Oh no, I'm on vacation. I only came here to do this, to work, always wanted to see what it would be like!"

"Where are you from?", Mayor asked.

"I'm a school teacher from Houston, Texas, in the U.S.A."

Ol' Mayor could have scored after a PTA meeting in his home town and saved a lot of money. But the Royale with cheese combo is really smokin'.

Here, meet the Mayor....